DuckHuntin247

Just wondering what the best tiem to hunt doves is. I usually only hunt them about an 1 1/2 -2 hours before closing. Is afternoon better? Morning?

Oilpig

I've always been a fan of sunrise hunting. That being said, it generally depends on what you're hunting over. If you're hunting over food (i.e., corn, silage, sunflower, etc.), the birds will come in to eat from the roost in the morning. If you don't have a place to hunt over food, then hunting over water is good in the late morning or early afternoon after they've fed. Evening can be a mixed bag of birds eating/watering before they roost. Hope that helps.

underdog

In your neck of the woods, I'm not sure one time of day is better than another. I think it's more important to have their pattern down. Doves fly predictable routes from roosts to feeding fields and water holes.

My favorite dove hunt is an evening hunt on a West Texas windmill or stock tank. When it's hot and dry, they come in like kamikazes. The shooting is fast and furious and usually doesn't last long until you're limited.

hoyt3

I just have to chime in here. I'm in VA and we cannot hunt dove until noon. well, after walking endless miles on this one farm I hunt, and only having four doves to my credit, I found a water hole. all I have to say is oh my god. there are four trees around this hole, and other than cattle, there is nothing else around for 1k yds. I limited my second time there. I have never had sooo much fun hunting doves. went through a box and a half in 45 mins. they were just allll over. couldn't even go out to get the downed birds without emptying the gun two maybe three times. I am considering using a full choke next time because of the fact that the birds fly to one tree about 45 yds away and perch. going back out tuesday. left with 18 birds between my buddy and myself last time...one squwab to boot also.

spuddog

Oilpig makes a lot of sense. I hunt a stretch of cottonwoods outside of town that has some standing water and wheat fields surrounding. I've tried to get there predawn to get them as they come off their roosts, but don't usually get anything until about 10 AM when it starts getting warmer and they return from feeding. Most of those we shoot at that time have full crops and many are full of water as well telling us that they have been out feeding and are returning to roost. The action slows dow in the early afternoon and then picks back up toward evening as they go out again and then return to roost.

It's a good idea to watch an area to see the pattern. I didn't do this and it's taken me 3 seasons to finally dawn on me what their pattern is.

Spud

DuckHuntin247

well it seems that like a half hour after i just get out there, its the most active part of the day, and it gets slower until right at closing, when like 3 flocks of about 30 birds fly over, but they usually dont come into the decoys, or the mojo. Im going out tonight, trying a slighly different spot.